Oil

How to spell oil

3 letters · 1 syllable

How to pronounce oil

What does oil mean?

1. nounA thick, slippery liquid that does not mix with water, used for fuel, cooking, or lubrication.
2. verbTo apply oil to something, usually to lubricate or protect it.

Oil in a sentence

• noun

  She fried the onions in a little olive oil.

• verb

  Remember to oil the squeaky hinges on the back door.

• noun

  The mechanic checked the engine oil before the long drive.

• verb

  Craftsmen often oil the wooden surface to seal and protect it.

Where does oil come from?

Language of origin: Latin

The word travelled into English from the Old French oile, which came directly from the Latin oleum, meaning 'olive oil'. That Latin word was itself borrowed from the Greek elaion, the oil pressed from the olive, and the Greek noun is tied to elaia, meaning 'olive tree'. For centuries oil meant specifically the liquid from olives, the staple fat and lamp fuel of the Mediterranean world, before English speakers widened it to cover any greasy, flowing liquid and, much later, the petroleum drawn from underground. The same olive ancestor still hides inside related words such as 'oleander' and the chemical prefix 'oleo-'. The spelling is short and phonetic, so its only mild trap is the 'oi' vowel pair rather than any silent letter.

How the word is built

• oil (single root from Old French oile, ultimately Latin oleum 'olive oil')